Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the German patent No. DE 195 37 585 C1, a cable shield connection element is disclosed that includes a plug that is designed for insertion in the conductor connection of a polyethylene binding post. Upon the current conduction piece, there is furthermore retained and guided a clamp strap, and it is resiliently supported by means of a spring opposite an angled bridge of the current conduction piece. The clamp strap has a seat located below the down-angled bridge for the shielded cable, which is clamped firmly in the seat and under the bridge by the spring. The potential of the connected cable shield can thus be transmitted directly to the polyethylene connection of a terminal block.
While the known cable shield connection element has proved to be effective, it was found that for modules or terminal blocks with connections that are placed closely directly adjacent each other, it is desirable that the typical connection element be so further improved that uncomplicated connection and operation from two or more screening cables in a tight space will also be possible. The present invention was developed to solve this problem.
The present invention relates to a connection element for the connection of the shields of shielded cables to conductor connections of at least one module, including a plug connection for insertion in the conductor connection of the module, and a spring-actuated clamping device conductively connected with the plug connection for the purpose of mounting the shielded cable on the connection element, wherein the plug connection is made as a multiple plug connection that can be inserted in two or more conductor connections, arranged directly next to each other, of at least one module or at an interval from each other and where the clamping means serves to fasten a plurality of shielded cables upon the connection element.
In contrast to the typical state of the art, a separate connection element is not required for each shielded cable according to the invention; therefore, several shielded cables can be connected to the connection element in a tight space without having to accept the disadvantages of a separate bus bar that takes a relatively large space. Instead, several connections can be contacted directly with a preferably plug-like connection element. The invention therefore is particularly suitable for modules that are made as terminal-block-like, disc-shaped elements for latching upon a mounting rail and that by themselves or lined up have at least two directly adjacent conductor connections. Moreover, the invention is also suitable for module blocks or combination lineups of module-like elements, such as module discs or terminal blocks.